Spotlight support



C. B. GIBSON, JR.

SPOTLIGHTSUPPORT.

.PPucATloN msn MAR.. 5. 1.921.

Patented. Jan. 3l, 1922.

-lrnown as spotlights,

situations. The present inventionairns to provide an Vment of the lamp beam in a. h

To allvwm t may concern Be it known" that l, CARLE'JEON B. (-issoin- Jr., a citizen ofthe `United Statesanda resident of Savannah, in' the' county of Chatham and State of Georgia,' have invented certain new and `useful linprovements in" Spotlight Supports, of which the following is a specification. 'V My present invention relates to' improve'- ments in lamps or `projecto-rs of the type used on motore-ars, po'sitioned'in reach of the Operator whereby 'a he directed to the side'ot the road or other desired point, suchlights,'however7 being adapted for use on y'motor boatsfarnd "other convenient flight may extremely simple and economica-l formof lamp which inay' be readily manipulated by one hand of the operator to loosen thehold,` ing -means of the lamp and at thesame time, effect the positioningjot the lamp to change'l the direction oi'- the illuminatingI beam or 4o entirely remove Ilamp' from support' for( use as a trouble lamp.= n A further Objectis tozprovider a construe-if tion in which onefand. the same handlev will serve as both the friction controlling-'and releasing means oftheclamp 4and the lamp positioning or directing means.' A turthenobject is toprovidea mounting which may be readilyfattached to'a wind# shield having any-rake or backward slope but which when once properly, attached will* not permit the axis ofthe be'ainvo'iC the lam p carriedk on .this mounting to beelevated" above the horizontal or such predetermined" position as may be required by11law,or be necessary to avoid directing offensive or dan'- gerous glare into the eyes of an approaching driver 0r pedestrian. In like-manner, moveorizontal iiistead ofva vertical planehmay be limited by using the same construction-fl except *y that* member 3 would Ibe made straight instead of* bent 90 asshowvn in Fig. 2. f i f i VVithlthis and otherobjects 'in view; thei` qinvention includesthe novel features of 'conl 50 struction and arrangement and combination- 'of parts hereinafter described` and particularly defined by the appended claims.

An embodiment of my invention isfil'lustrated in the accompanying drawings in vvhichy-v Y 'Figure' is a side elevation partly in secw\Specification of'Letters'Pa'tent.

projector the type.

' preferably fna vsuch-for exanipleias 'are j Yarms','on`e or. which (2) *arms maybe made oi'- two parts h cei've .between them or saw-innen; esonera;

Patented an. El; I H922.,

i921.' isaiasi Ead reas/2e.

'tion, illustrating my supporting .and posi'- tioningm'ea'nsin connection with a lamp or described; the latter; .ionally shown. .M y l4 155.52 1s a .rear elevation of the same,

Fig. isa detailplanpview of the blanlcftrom, Iwhich the clar'nping` 'arms are beingconvent de, and Fig-s. yand fl are detail views of the' clamping bracket. l

Referiing,byreference characters to this drawin'leg numeral designates the lamp body or lcasingjyhich is preferably'provided with a rearwardly extended portion la of substantial' v truncated coneshape.' 'N'uv vforni or) Inerals' Zand 2,.designate two clamping face ot' the truncated cone portion it While tlie other 2 is'liingedly connected to the por' tion @at 2" conveniently by a spring hinge which may beforinedby a reduced or narrowed Vintegral connecting portion of the tufo arms which'in vthe event oliusing an in! *regral` spring ,hinge would` of course, be madeof'spring material., li' desirech the inged to- -"gretl\.er.

cated cone shaped .portion l vided witl'i opposedconcave portions asin` dicated at 2b, and 29g-these concaved or re-` cessed portions beingof substantially hemispherical 'shape andhbeing designed to rethe'sphericalv or ballot thesupporting bracket portions of the clamping in turn .provided with suitabley shaped member 53h. 3l These opposed arms are 'slots 2d slightly jxvidejrthan the adjacent portion 3b oi thesupportinoqbraclret. The slots'A Iare so positionediasto permit limited move- -nient oi the clamp arms onthe balli-to swing the lainfp in a verticalplane, the-inner lends of the I slots serving. 'to limit the amount-'of `vertical 'adjustment ivh ich may :be secured. rllhe slotsniay bernade AWideenough to permit a certain raniountoi" vertical adjustment stru'cted aste -'width and so positioned 'as tov prevent the lamp being adjusted to throw itsl beamsfintothel eyes of .anapproachingdriver", oit inq'otli'er Words., to' always rn aintain the' -rbe'amf deiected downwardly.

The support' i a suitablelnieans for. attaching ittothe'Windshield or other support, and a forni of attaching means which l have found advanis secured to the rear 'i The armsare-.projected beyond 'the trunlos h, bracketis', provided with` il@ v corresponding openings.

tageous is illustrated in the drawings., in

which the horizontal arm 3 is provided with a single hook or head 8d formed intey gral with arm 3c and of proper tform for clamping against windshield standards or and the memberl is further provided with a longitudinal' groove 4 which permits 4rotationof this member about the axis of arm 3, while otherwise maintaining the center line thereof substantially parallel to said axis. This `whole arrangement gives the llexibilty and range of adjustment of clamp memberd relative to arm 3 necessary for attaching to tapered or sloping supports.

. I prefer to construct the clamping arms from a single p'iece of stamped sheet metal .as indicated in Fifr. 3 in the shape of four- 'substantiallyf circulaar discmembers connected by narrow necks, the disc members at the extremities being pressed into substantially hemispherical shape and connected to the adjoining disc members by the necks b andl c, said adjoining disc members 2 and2y being connected by the narrow neckvd which forms the spring hinge hereinbefore 'referred to. The spring hinge is not necessary and may be replaced by. a pin hinge as rotation ofloperating handle in proper direction positively opens or closes clamping members. The disc member 2 is providedwith a plurality of annularly arranged openings designed to receive the bolts'G whichserve to connecty itto the truncated cone portion lsl of the lamp, and it lisalso provided with a central opening-to permit the passage of the spindle `hereinafter v referred to, it b'eing understoodr'that the wall of the truncated portion is vprovided vwith The member 2 is likewise provided with a central opening for kthe 4 passage of said spindle and annularly arranged openings designed to receive rivets which connect it to operating handle by` means oi member 2". The spindle is indicated at 7 and it has its inner end immovably secured iny a suitable manner to the inner portion or arm 2 of the clamp. The outer portion of said spindle is provided With suitable cam means such that by rotation of the handle 8 in the proper direction, the outer arm of the clamp may be pressed towards the other member to cause the ball 3 to be gripped with the desired degree of friction or to have said friction lessened or the clamping jaws separated sufficiently to permit of complete removal from ball 3, by the release of the arm 2', according the handle.

tothe direction of rotation of the operating and directing handle 8. Said spindle 7 and Yhandle 8 may be axially bored to take the ycommon form of lamp focusing screw now in general use.

The preferred form of cam mechanism' is shown in the drawings in which the handle 8 vis provided with a screw threaded passage, the threads of which are designed to engage with correspondingI threads formed Aon the spindle 7, said handle memberbeing fastened to member 2 so as to only permit of rotary motion about its axis relative to member 2. The elongated handle 8 may be grasped by one hand of the operator and, assuming the lamp to be frictionally heldto the supporting bracket, may by a slight rotation'in the proper direction effect the lessen-A ing of the frictiongrip suiiciently to enable the direction of the lamp to be readily changed by the action of the said hand on After the lamp has been adjusted to the proper direction a reverse ro- .tation of the handle causes the clamp arms to vfagain'vgrp the ball with suicient frictionto hold the lamp in its adjusted posiy tion.

Furthermore, ,assuming the lamp to be vfrictionally held to the supporting bracket,

the clamping larms may, by a few rotations ofthe handle 8in the proper direction, be

`sufficient-ly separated to permit of entirely4 removing the clamp from the supporting vball 3, thereby permitting the entire releasing and removal of the lamp from the bracket, which is of great advantage in cases Where it is necessary to change or repair tires or correct engine trouble at night, or otherwiseuse the lamp asa trouble light.

4I provide a simple,.economical and durable constrnction, readily applied to the -lamp and to the attaching bracket which will firmly hold the lamp inproper posiwhich it is applied, but which. may be readily rnani ulated by the driver or operator by one han enabling him to always keep the other hand upon the steering wheel.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. The combination with a lamp or projeetor of the class described of a two armed clamp having one of itsarms secured lto the back ,of the lamp, the arms of said clamp havmg opposed concave portions, a. supporting bracket ,for said lamp having a substantially spherical head lying between said con* cave portions, a directing handle at the back of the lampi, and means whereby rotary movement of said handle actuates said clamp. 2. The combination with a lamp or project/or of the class described of a two armed clamp having one of its arms secured to the backof the lamp, the arms of said clamp having opposed concave portions, a support- ,'.tion under thevibrations of the vehicle tol I ing bracketfor said lamp having a substantially spherical head lying between said concave portions7 a directing handle at the back of the lamp` screw means connecting said arms, and a handle cooperating with said screw means and serving both to operate the clamp and manipulate the lamp.

3. The combination with a lamp or projeetor ot the class deseriberhot a clamp comprising two arms hingedly connected at. one

end and having opposed substantially hem-V ispherical recessed portions at their free ends7 one of said arms having a portion intermediate its ends secured to the back ot the lamp, a. spindle firmly held relative to they ami so secured to the lamp, a directing handle rotatably but non-slidably held relative to the other arm of said clamp, cam means. between said spindle and the other arm, and/ a supporting bracket having a substantially spherical head trietionally held between the recessed portions otsaid arms. l f

4L. The combination with a lamp or projector of the class described, ot' a clamp coinprising two arms hingedly connected at one: end and having substantially opposed hemispherieal recessed portions at their lree ends, one of said arms having-a. portion intermediate its ends secured to thev back ot the lamp, a Spindle immovably held relative to the arm so secured to the lamp, a directing handle rotatably but non-slidably attached to the other ot' said arms, said handle. having a. portion provided with a screw threaded Opening and the spindle having screw threads engagingsaid opening, and a supporting bracket having a substantially spherical heard frictionally engaged by said recessed portions ot the arms.

5. The combination with a lamp or projector ol' the class described. ol' a two-armed.

clamp. having its arms hingedly connected, each of said clamps comprising two disc-like portions connected by a relatively narrow neck, the disc-like portions at the ends of the arius being shaped to provide opposed eoncavities, the other disc portion ot one arni being secured to said lamp and the corresponding disc olf the othe arm being rotatably fastened to a handle having a threaded passage` a spindle firmly held in said back wall and juxtaposed disc. portion, and having a threaded portion engaging said threaded passage in said manipulating haildle.

(i. In a lamp support a bracket arm having a support engaging portion arranged substantially concentric with the axis of the arm, and a cooperating clamp lnenlbe 'l adjustable abuutsthe said axis.y

7. In a lamp support'` a substantially cylindrical li'acket arm having an annular` groov"e"1'iea-il its end, a clamp member cooperating with saidgrooved portion. said clamp having a base portion provided with a longitudinal groove engaged by said bracket arnl, and a U-bolt lor holding said arm in said longitudinal groove.

S. lira lamp support` a substantially cylindrical bracket arm having anannular groove near its end` a clamp member cooperating with said grooved portion, said clamp having a base portieri provided with a longitudinal groove engaged by said bracket arm, and a U-bolti'or holding said arm in said longitudinal\groove7 said arm having an annular groove engaged by said U-bolt.

ln testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

" @Mantiene-Q1BSCN J1" 

